Utility stand



May 3, 1949.

Y B. H. KENNEDY I UTILITY STAND 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 001;. 20, 1945INVENTOR' BFNJAM/N 6f KENNEDY ATTORNEYS Patented May 3, 1949 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE UTILITY STAND Benjamin H. Kennedy, Pittsford, N. Y.

Application October 20, 1945, Serial No. 623,495

Claims. (01. 211-178) This invention relates to stands and has for itsobject the provision of a foldable utility stand which is so constructedand arranged that it may easily be folded to an inoperative compactposition for shipment or storage and unfolded or erected to an operativeposition. The invention aims to provide a utility stand that is ofsimple sturdy construction comprising several supporting legs with aplurality of easily removable shelves supported by the legs, togetherwith means for bracing the legs to secure them in their rigid supportingposition.

In accordance with the invention, I provide two pairs of legs with meansinterconnecting the legs together permitting one pair of legs to befolded into substantial parallelism with the other pair of legs.Advantageously such means is in the form of an X-brace with the four armextremities connected to the legs and with means for securing the armsof the X-brace in a rigid pivotal connection. I prefer to employ two ormore removable shelves which rest upon the X-braces with means on theshelves which engage the arms of the X-brace and secure them in theirrigid extended position. To this end, I may provide removableshelveswith corner notches which engage the arms near the legs to lock or bindthe legs to the shelves when in their unfolded or erected positions.

These and other novel features of the invention will be betterunderstood after considering the following discussion taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a utility stand embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the stand with shelves removed showing foldedand unfolded legs;

Fig. 3 illustrates a detail of the shelf and brace connection;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the stand of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the stand of Fig. 1 with the shelvesremoved and the legs folded.

The utility stand illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 comprises upright legs Lresting on casters or the like with three identical connecting X-bracesB. The legs may be formed of wood or tubular metal and are preferablypermanently connected to the X- braces. While any suitable connectingmeans may be used for this purpose, I prefer to use a special bracket 4(Figs. 2 and 3) comprising a vertical plate 5 connected by Screws 6 tothe leg L which has a right angle bend 1 connected by screws 8 to an armA of the X-brace. For purposes later to be explained, I provide uprightand side rails 29.

bearing plates 9 which lie against the sides of the arms. Dowel pins orlagscrews Il) may be used to assist in effecting a rigid connection ofthe legs to the arms.

As shown in the drawings, I provide three X- braces each comprising asheet metal frame or hub Ii having top and bottom plates l2 and I3connected together with web spacers l5, l6, ll, l8, l9 and 20 with aspace between the plates just sufiicient to permit free movement of thearms A which are pivotally connected to the plates by the rivets 2|. Thewebs l5, l6, l8 and I9 serve as stops for the arms A when they are intheir extended positions and insure their proper positions for receivingthe shelves. As best shown in Fig. 2, the arms of the braces and theirconnected legs may be folded as shown at the right, or unfolded to theerected position as shown at the left. To insure stability of theunfolded legs, I may provide a stay-hinge 22, the ends of which arepivotally connected to the arms by screws or rivets 23.

The shelves 25, 26 and 21 are identical with the exception of top shelf21 which has a rear rail 28 While any suitable shelving may be used, Iprefer to use shelves formed of stamped sheet metal with decorativeperforations at the center and downwardly turned side edges 3| (Fig. 3).Advantageously the corners are formed with a short side 32 (Fig. 3) tobear against the fiat inside of the legs and are provided with arectangular notch 33 which straddles the arm, fitting snugly against thebearing plates 9. These notches and bearing plates cooperate to securethe stand in its rigid erected position. The frame or hub ll bearsagainst substantial lengths of the arms and secures them in theirpivoting plane, thereby reducing the tendency for the stand to wiggle.

In order to increase the uses for the stand, for example, as a nurseryitem in the care of infants, I provide a foldable rack R at the backwhich may be bowed to the position for use as shown in Fig. 1, or lefthanging in a flat position parallel to the legs when not in use. A rackof this type is described and claimed in my copending application SerialNo. 620,270, filed October 4, 1945. Other racks or brackets, such as theswinging hanger brackets S, may be attached in convenient places, suchas to the legs as shown. These brackets may easily be removed or swungout of the way.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the utility stand of Figs. 1to 5 is of simple sturdy construction and that it may easily be foldedto legs are folded or unfolded together in pairs, a

plurality of removable shelves arranged tube; supported by the arms, andmeans at the corners of each shelf for engaging the arms of: the: 1X-braces to secure the legs in their unfolded positions.

2. A utility stand which comprises a pluralltylr of upright supportinglegs, a plurality of X-braces each. brace consisting of ,a hub havingdiagonally, extending arms, each arm being pivotally con nected tov saidhub at its-inner extremity andrto a supporting leg at its outerextremity,,saida X- br-aces'providing means by.- which the supportinglegs are folded or unfolded together in pairs, each hub includingparallel. platesbetween which the arms pivot to secure andv guide thearms, thereof and thereby prevent wiggling of the, legs; when in theirunfolded positions, a pluralityof removable shelves mounted over the-X-braces-, and notch meansat the corners of theshelvesi to;engage-thearms to securethe legs intheir unfolded positions.

3 A, utility stand which comprises; a. plurality of upright supportinglegs, a plurality of; )e-braces each; brace consisting of a hub having,diagonally, extending arms, each arm being pivotally 0011;1- nected tosaid hubat its-inner extremityandto; a, supporting leg; at its. outerextremity, said:- Xe. braoes providing means, by which the, supporting;legs are folded or unfolded, avflat metal plate on: each oftwo. oppositesides of the hub. between which the arms of therbrace, pivot, saidplates: securing the. arms in, the plane in; which they: pivot, a.pluralityv of removable shelves each; mountedilna position overlyinganXebrace, and

means at the corners of" the shelves forrsecuring the legs intheir:unfolded position,

4. In a utility stand having four supporting legs, the improvement whichcomprises at least two X-braces, each brace consisting of a hub havingdiagonally extending arms, each arm being pivotally connected to saidhub at its inner extremity and to a supporting leg at its outerextremity, said X-braces providing means by which the supporting legsare folded or unfolded together in pairs, the hubs including means bywhichrthe arms: are securely heldin' a plane while folding and unfoldingand -the1legs'=are accordingly prevented from wiggling, at least tworemovable shelves one mounted over each X-brace, and means at thecorners of each shelf for securing the legs in their unfolded positions.

In: a). utility stand having four supporting legshthe. improvement whichcomprises at least two X'-braces each-ofwhich has four arms pivot.

. allyruonnected to the legs at one end, a pivotal mounting means forthe four arms of each X- brace to which the other endofeach arm. is.pivotally. connectedandbya means. of which the arms.v are securely heldin, a. plane while. folding, and, unfolding, andthe legslare,accordingly. prevented. from wiggling; twdstay-hinges for at. least one:X.-brace,each -stay-hinge beingconnected totwcarms whereby the arms,maybe folded or un folded and. locked in their unfolded, positionsanda.removable shelfmounted in-v a position;'

overlying, each Xebrace and having notches at,

the corners operatively connecting, the'shelves tor the arms. I

BENJAMIN H. NEDY.v

REFERENCES. GIT-ED,

'Ilhe: following references are-of. record: in the file;v Of? this:patent:

UNITED" STATES PATENTS hang et' a1. May- 163 ,1939)

